In “The Prosecutor,” Donnie Yen, known for his roles in “Ip Man” series and “John Wick: Chapter 4,” takes center stage as both star and director. This film is a thrilling blend of Hong Kong crime tales and courtroom dramas. However, the script occasionally veers into overly emotional moments, both inside and outside the courtroom, which detract from Yen’s compelling and charismatic portrayal of a former cop turned Justice Department prosecutor. Despite these dramatic fluctuations, the film remains entertaining due to its action sequences. Since its release on December 21, it has been the top-grossing movie in Hong Kong for two weeks and is expected to perform well when it hits limited U.S. theaters from January 10.
The film “The Prosecutor” features fewer action scenes than typical Donnie Yen movies, with his character expressing doubts about his ability to continue in the action genre due to age-related limitations, such as saying “I’m getting old, I can’t catch thieves anymore” and “I just got old.” This has led some to speculate that Yen may be nearing the end of his action film career. However, these assumptions have been refuted by the fact that he has a busy future schedule, which includes “Ip Man 5,” an unnamed “John Wick” spinoff, adaptation of the video game “Sleeping Dogs,” and “Flash Point: Resurgence,” a sequel to his 2007 action hit “Flashpoint.
At the age of 61 and appearing decades younger, Yen delivers exceptional fighting and action sequences. In this story, he plays Fok Chi-ho, a former cop who left the force in 2017 due to his frustration with criminals exploiting legal loopholes to evade punishment. A swift sequence depicts Fok dedicating seven years to studying law and eventually joining the Department of Justice upon earning his degree. His initial case involves prosecuting Ma Ka-kit, a young man wrongfully accused of drug charges due to pressure from his legal team. Fok’s cop intuition is triggered, leading him to suspect foul play in Ma’s case. After speaking with Uncle Ma (Lau Kong), Ma’s devoted and impoverished grandfather who rescued his grandson from a troubled childhood marked by drug-addicted parents, Fok becomes convinced that Ma, facing 27 years in prison, is being used as a pawn in a significant drug trafficking operation.
As a seasoned movie critic, I found myself captivated by the first half of this screenplay, penned by the familiar collaborator of “Ip Man,” Edmond Wong. The narrative deftly intertwines Fok’s detective investigations with courtroom drama, setting up a tense confrontation between Fok and the seemingly disdainful DOJ chief prosecutor, Yeung Dit-lap (Francis Ng), as well as trial judge George Hui (Michael Hui). The latter, in a striking scene, reprimands Fok for his brash comments about the defense lawyers and his insistence on a retrial of a defendant he has just successfully prosecuted. It’s challenging to envision such vibrant and engaging dialogues occurring in a real courtroom, but it’s undeniably entertaining to witness Yen going toe-to-toe with the veteran actor Hui, who is currently enjoying a purple patch in his late career. This role marks another significant addition to his portfolio, following his leading role in Hong Kong’s current box-office champion, “The Last Dance.
Indeed, the evidence uncovers that lawyer Shirley Chan and her assistant Julian Chen are representing businesses owned by Adam Pak, a restaurant owner who has ties to criminal figures Tung and Sang, stereotypical Hong Kong crime movie villains known for their flashy attire, bling, and luxurious yachts. The court case takes a back burner as the story shifts to thrilling action scenes such as Fok’s intense rooftop confrontation with numerous thugs, and an exhilarating fight on a subway train where Fok eliminates countless henchmen before facing off against the massive, heavily-inked assassin Yu Kang.
As the narrative shifts towards action, the movie strays from its original role as a compelling legal and human drama. The tragic situation of Ma and his grandfather becomes overly dramatic, and the film fails to deliver the intricate exploration of Hong Kong’s British-influenced legal system found in recent films like “The Sparring Partner” and Jack Ng’s 2023 success “A Guilty Conscience.” Instead, the perspective offered is more straightforward, sometimes contradictory, though this ambiguity could also be interpreted as a careful balancing act to avoid censorship. At times, Fok seems like a crusader aiming to challenge a system that leaves individuals such as poor Man in its wake. In other instances, he delivers heavy-handed “inspirational” speeches, for example when he tells his veteran DOJ colleague Bao Ding (Kent Cheng) that “our work is like an eternal brilliant light, it shines the glory and fairness of justice into the hearts of the people.
In the action-packed film “The Prosecutor,” Donnie Yen brilliantly displays his exceptional physical abilities and dance-like movements throughout its swift pace for nearly two hours. This production, with its engaging narrative style and visually stunning elements, effectively conceals any rough patches. The exquisite orchestral score by debuting composer Choi Chul-ho and the impressive costume design by Chan Ka-yee Joyce are additional delightful aspects of this enjoyable endeavor. A heartwarming guest role by Klyster Chen, Yen’s father, as Fok’s father, provides a touching personal angle to the story.
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2025-01-10 21:46